Why Lamar Jackson has struggled against the Steelers

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  • Jamison Hensley, ESPN staff writer16 November 2024 at 6:00 a.m. ET

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      Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011 and covered the AFC North before focusing solely on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018 and authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Three years ago, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sitting in the meeting room as they prepared to play quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“You want me to tell you that secret?” Maulet said this week.

He went on to describe how the Steelers focused on stopping Jackson on the run options. He acknowledged that the game plan may have changed since he was released in May 2023 and later joined the AFC North rival Ravens. But Jackson has also changed over the years.

“Exactly,” said Maulet. “He can throw a lot better.”

When the Ravens (7-3) play at the Steelers (7-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Baltimore can move into sole possession of first place and Jackson can show he’s ready to overcome his Pittsburgh problem. Jackson is 1-3 against the Steelers, the only team he has faced multiple times and thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (four) against.

The consensus among is that there is no definitive reason why Jackson has struggled against Pittsburgh and has put up NFL MVP numbers against the rest of the league.

“I don’t know what it is, man,” Jackson said.

“I’m not sure,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said.

Here are three reasons why Jackson has stumbled against the Steelers and why it could be different Sunday:

Not effective in the pocket: Jackson’s 21.2 QBR when inside the pocket against Pittsburgh is his lowest against any team. He has completed just 59.2% of his throws when inside the pocket against the Steelers, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. pass attempt. But this is an area where Jackson now thrives. This season, he’s catching a career-best 71.5% of his passes in the pocket, averaging 9.3 yards per carry. pass attempt.

Pressure: The Steelers have sacked Jackson 20 times, an average of five per game. The biggest problem has been Pittsburgh linebacker TJ Watt, who has sacked Jackson 7.5 times and recorded 14 hits in four games against him. This season, Jackson has been sacked 13 times, tied with the Bills’ Josh Allen for the fewest among quarterbacks with at least eight starts.

Wiretaps: Jackson’s seven interceptions against the Steelers are his second most against any team behind the Cleveland Browns (eight). But Jackson has started nearly three times as many games against Cleveland. This season, Jackson has been excellent at protecting the ball. He’s been picked off twice in 10 games and hasn’t thrown an interception in 136 passes, the third-longest active streak in the league.

“I think Lamar has just been conscious of playing as well as he can across the board, and that’s a big part of it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “There’s so many things that go into playing the quarterback position, and then there’s so many things that also go into that thing you’re talking about. We’ve improved a lot in those huddle, pre-snap communication areas; we have to continue to get better at it and then make plays at a high level. So all those things go into it and we all want to say we have to continue to improve with a sense of urgency about everything. , what we are. do.”

The last time Jackson played against the Steelers was October 2023, when Baltimore lost 17-10 at Pittsburgh. Jackson wasn’t to blame because the Ravens dropped a handful of passes, including two in the end zone.

“We owe them one,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “We didn’t play very well in the away (game). Gave it away.”

The Ravens-Steelers rivalry has been one of the NFL’s best for years, but it’s been the most unusual matchup for Jackson.

Since becoming Baltimore’s starting quarterback midway through the 2018 season, Jackson has missed more games against the Steelers (six) than he has started (four). He has been sidelined three times due to injury and sat out two games because the Ravens had already clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed. He has also missed a game due to COVID-19.

“Some years there are different things that go on and sometimes we’ve been in a good position,” Andrews said. “But we’re happy to have him this week. It’s going to be fun.”